Region Archives: US East
Business & Politics
International Paper Celebrates the Groundbreaking of Greenfield Packaging Facility in Waterloo, Iowa
By International Paper
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper announces the groundbreaking of its new state-of-the-art sustainable, packaging box plant in Waterloo, Iowa. …Located in the heart of the Midwest, the new facility will primarily focus on serving the protein segment, providing tailored packaging solutions and meeting the growing demand for high-quality, sustainable packaging. …The Waterloo box plant will feature cutting-edge technology and equipment, enabling International Paper to deliver innovative and sustainable packaging solutions. …The new facility is currently scheduled to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2026 and create an estimated 65 new jobs to the current facility with a total of 190 team members.
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Georgia-Pacific to Close Emporia Plywood Facility in Virginia
ATLANTA, Georgia – Employees at the Emporia Plywood mill in Emporia, Virginia, were told that Georgia-Pacific will permanently close the plant. Approximately 550 jobs will be impacted. Normal operations will cease May 2 – and the site will be permanently closed on July 1. Georgia-Pacific will provide all affected employees with at least 60 days’ pay with benefits in accordance with WARN. Housing affordability challenges and a 30-year low in existing home sales are impacting our plywood business, as many of our plywood products are used in repair and remodel projects, which often occur when homes change ownership. To align with current demand, we are reducing our production capacity. A decision on the facility and property will be made at a later date.
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Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Mississippi River Commission To Proceed
By David Murray
A federal judge in Jackson, Mississippi, issued an order April 28 allowing a lawsuit by a newspaper publisher and lumber company against the Mississippi River Commission (MRC) to proceed. The lawsuit alleges a lack of transparency in meetings. The suit was originally filed in September 2024. Emmerich Newspapers Inc., which publishes dozens of publications across Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, sued the MRC over what it claimed were secret meetings where proper records were not kept and the public was not notified or admitted. Emmerich was joined as plaintiff by a lumber company that manages hundreds of acres alongside the Mississippi River. The lumber company claims the Corps of Engineers’ decisions on flood control, informed by advice from the MRC, adversely affect its properties. The judge’s decision allows the lawsuit to proceed without ruling on the merits of the allegations.
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Missouri lumber businesses struggle to find stability amid Trump tariffs
By Caden Michaels
FAYETTE — Missouri’s lumber exports have taken a major hit, with more than half of international shipments grinding to a halt in the wake of tariffs enacted under President Donald Trump’s administration. Industry leaders say the effects are already being felt statewide. The Missouri Forest Products Association says demand for lumber is declining both domestically and internationally, driving down market prices and straining businesses that rely heavily on exports. “About 60% of the material produced here in Missouri is exported to China,” said Brian Brookshire, the Missouri Forest Production Association’s executive director. Brookshire said the lack of international exports is causing problems for the market. …With international demand shrinking, one lumber company in Fayette said it is seeing shipments stall and backlogs grow. The MOPAC Lumber Company said the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs has thrown previous export plans into chaos.
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Builders FirstSource Releases 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
By Builders FirstSource
IRVING, Texas — Builders FirstSource announced that it has published its 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, highlighting how the Company aligns and advances sustainability within its business strategy to deliver value for its customers, team members, and stakeholders. …Highlights from the 2025 CSR report include: Delivered an industry-leading total recordable incident rate of 1.39, a year-over-year reduction of 10%, meeting our 10% annual goal >60% of the Company’s facilities were accident-free in 2024. …~89% of the Company’s wood is from Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified vendors >7.5 million trees saved since 2019 through sales of the Company’s more efficient manufactured products. …We continued to provide innovative products and solutions allowing our customers to operate more sustainably. Our safety-always mindset is a core value embedded in our culture and operations,” said Peter Jackson, CEO.
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J.C. Snavely & Sons celebrates 90 Years with Lumbermens Merchandising Corporation
Steve Snavely
J.C. Snavely & Sons, established in 1878, has served Lancaster, Pennsylvania for over 145 years. This family-owned business, now led by fifth generation President Steve Snavely, supplies building materials, millwork, lumber, and drywall while helping establish the sixth generation. With two locations, the company caters to various business and commercial projects. J.C. Snavely & Sons has stayed strong by sticking to its values, leadership, and keeping their customers first. As a founding member of the Lumbermens Merchandising Corporation (LMC), J.C. Snavely & Sons has been involved with the organization since 1935 when Steve Snavely’s grandfather joined the co-op. Snavely saw the vision of working together to improve the purchasing power of independent lumber dealers. Three generations of the Snavely family have worked with LMC, benefiting from the organization’s network, market insights, and supplier relationships.
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Tennessee needs more time to review Domtar’s permit application for a new wastewater treatment system
By Allison Winters
KINGSPORT — Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) representatives have asked Domtar for an extension to review the company’s permit application for its anaerobic digester. Environmental Manager Doug Wright wrote…“Our permitting workload is such that we can not devote sufficient time to all applications such that all of the applications are processed within the ideal timeline.” …Domtar Kingsport Mill Manager Troy Wilson replied to TDEC’s request, agreeing to the extension. “Domtar agrees to extend the date for the final issue of the construction permit for the new wastewater treatment system at the Kingsport, Tennessee Mill. Domtar’s plans for an anaerobic digester is planned to help Domtar with its long-term odor mitigation efforts as requested by the surrounding Kingsport community.
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West Fraser has found a potential buyer for the old Perry sawmill
By Adrian Andrews
PERRY, Florida — The plant is now under contract to be sold to a developer who plans to repurpose the land. …West Fraser permanently closed its doors in March of last year. …West Fraser tried to scale back operations a year before by cutting staff and only keeping a small skeleton crew, but they say that didn’t work. …Now, the county’s Director of Economic Development Bob Cate has a plan that he hopes will create local jobs and bring revenue back to the community. …“We have several sites, but this will be premium one because it’s going to be nice and clean,” Cate said.
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Finance & Economics
Louisiana Pacific reports Q1, 2025 net income of $91 million
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Louisiana-Pacific reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Highlights include: Siding net sales increased by $41 million (11%) to $402 million; Oriented Strand Board (OSB) net sales decreased by $46 million to $267 million; Consolidated net sales remained flat at $724 million; Net income was $91 million, a decrease of $17 million; and Cash provided by operating activities was $64 million. …“LP’s Siding business delivered 11% revenue growth and margin expansion in the first quarter,” said LP CEO Brad Southern. “Despite tariff uncertainty and a slow start to the building season, LP’s Siding order file is on pace for a record second quarter, driven by ExpertFinish growth, share gains in new residential construction, and a recovering shed market.”
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Kansas builders face uncertain prices as U.S. and Canada ‘keep flexing their muscles’ on tariffs
By Morgan Chilson
TOPEKA, Kansas — Building a new house in today’s market doesn’t yet mean extra dollars for lumber or manufactured wood products, but Kansas building supply managers warn that tariffs have driven up other construction costs. While on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian timber are currently off, Kansans should prepare to pay more for just about everything else in the house, they said. “You take the hardware and the millwork portion of our business, and we’re getting daily price increases. …“Canada is the source of upwards of 80% of our lumber, so that’s a huge issue for the homebuilding industry in particular,” he said. …“I would say pretty much 99.9% of all the builders we deal with have language in their contracts for increases due to market conditions,” he said. “Unfortunately, the end user is the one that’s bearing the brunt of all these tariffs,” Robinson added.
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Rayonier Inc. reports Q1, 2025 net loss of $3.4 million
WILDLIGHT, Florida — Rayonier reported first quarter net loss attributable to Rayonier of ($3.4) million on revenues of $82.9 million. This compares to net income attributable to Rayonier of $1.4 million on revenues of $113.7 million in the prior year quarter. Due to the Company’s previously announced agreement to sell entities that hold its entire 77% New Zealand joint venture interest, the contribution from the Company’s New Zealand operations are now reflected as discontinued operations on its consolidated financial statements. “We continued to advance key strategic initiatives during the first quarter, underscored by our announcement of an agreement to sell our New Zealand joint venture interest in March,” said Mark McHugh, President and CEO.
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International Paper reports Q1, 2025 net loss of $105 million
By International Paper
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper reported first quarter 2025 net earnings (loss) of $(105) million and adjusted operating earnings (non-GAAP) of $101 million. First quarter net sales were $5.9 billion in 2025 and $4.6 billion in 2024. First quarter net earnings includes a pre-tax charge of $271 million for accelerated depreciation and restructuring charges related to the previously announced closure of the Company’s Red River containerboard mill in Campti, Louisiana. …Andy Silvernail, Chief Executive Officer said., “This year’s first quarter results reflect higher sales and earnings, primarily driven by the DS Smith acquisition, sales price increases, and cost out”. “We also made good progress on growing our market position in our North American packaging business. Overall market demand, however, was softer than anticipated in both of our regions.
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UFP Industries reports Q1, 2025 net earnings of $79M
By UFP Industries Inc.
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — UFP Industries announced first quarter 2025 results including net sales of $1.60 billion and net earnings attributable to controlling interests of $78.8 million. …Will Schwartz, UFP Industries CEO. “Business activity improved sequentially in each month during the quarter and that improvement has continued into April. …We remain on target to realize $60 million of structural cost savings by year-end 2026″ …“While the prospect of lumber tariffs only adds to the macro uncertainty, we have dealt with lumber tariffs for many years and are well equipped to manage through them. We believe our diverse and balanced customer base will help us navigate through any market challenges.” …Net earnings attributable to controlling interests of $78.8 million represents a 35% decrease from last year.
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What the closure of International Paper’s fluff pulp mill says about the direction of the market
The closure of International Paper’s Georgetown mill, which represented approximately 5% of US fluff pulp production, has sparked renewed interest in the underlying drivers of change within the fluff pulp sector. While it might be tempting to view this move as part of a larger market correction due to factors such as oversupply, the data suggests a different story. The shutdown is more accurately seen as a strategic decision tied to cost optimization and shifting corporate priorities rather than a response to excess global capacity. Contrary to the notion of global oversupply, fluff pulp capacity has remained relatively stable over the past decade. …The closure underscores a confluence of evolving cost structures and operational realities. Older sites like Georgetown, face growing challenges from energy costs, labor, and environmental compliance. Georgetown ranked among the highest-risk fluff pulp mills based on cost position and technical age.
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February 2025 Southern Pine Lumber Exports Report
February 2025 Southern Pine lumber exports (treated and untreated) were up 4.7% to 40.8 Mbf over January but were down 15% over February 2024, according to February 2025 data from the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Services’ Global Agricultural Trade System. When looking at the report by dollar value, Southern Pine exports are down 4% compared to the first two months of 2024 at $32 million. Mexico led the way at $8.4 million, followed by the Dominican Republic at $6.7 million, and Canada at $3.3 million. The total global value in February, however, hit a five-month high of $16.5 million. Treated lumber exports, meanwhile, were down 8% to $18.3 million through the first two months of 2025 compared to a year ago led by Jamaica at $3 million, the Leeward-Windward Islands at $2.6 million, and the Netherlands Antilles with $2 million.
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Wood, Paper & Green Building
Harvard is building a new conference centre – and it’s made entirely of wood
By Theo Reilly
Harvard University is building a new conference centre, to open in autumn 2025. The campus-wide conference facility – The David Rubenstein Treehouse – will be constructed almost entirely from wood, designed to give visitors the impression of being “up in the canopy”. It uses a rare type of frame, made from “engineered wood”, and will feature a wraparound balcony on the upper levels and an abundance of natural light. The new building has what’s known as a “mass timber” structure – a relatively new construction method. …the building will use “engineered wood”, which involves gluing wood fibres together with adhesives. The resulting material is about the same strength of concrete or steel, but much lighter. This composite wood will form the actual frame of the building. …The Treehouse was designed by Jeanne Gang’s architecture studio, Studio Gang – known for its experimentation with materials and general focus on sustainability. The centre is being constructed by Consigli and Smoot.
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Macon using mass timber for guitar-shaped airport. Why it matters.
By Margaret Walker
The new guitar-shaped airport terminal set to be built at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport is going to be built from wood, with over 70% of which will be locally sourced from Georgia. Using mass timber is a stylistic choice with sustainability benefits that also fosters the engagement between urban development and the local forestry industry, according to Chris Nardone, lead architect with Passero Associates. … Nardone said Chuck Leavell, multi-Grammy Award winner and now tree farmer, was part of the inspiration to use wood. …The birds-eye view of the terminal will be of the guitar, while the ground-level view will look like piano keys. … The terminal at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport will be built primarily from Southern Yellow Pines, Nardone said, most of which probably will come from privately owned land as 90% of Georgia’s forests are privately owned, according to Matt Hestad, senior vice president for the Georgia Forestry Foundation.
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Mass Timber+ 2025 Offsite Construction Conference
Hynes Convention Center, Boston, October 28 – 30, 2025
Mass Timber+ is where wood-based offsite construction’s suppliers, buyers and specifiers meet to explore opportunities, exchange ideas and introduce technologies to move this industry forward. Formerly known as IWBC, our conference has evolved to encompass a wider range of topics under a universally recognized brand. Mass Timber+ focuses on sustainable building practices, featuring all aspects of wood-based offsite construction, with a primary focus on mass timber and hybrid solutions.
- The west already has a major mass timber event; now, the east will have its own flagship event!
- Eastern Mass Timber activity has eclipsed that of the west. According to WoodWorks, 48% of current projects in design are on the east coast, as opposed to 21% on the west coast.
- The east is set for a rapid ramp-up in production capacity. Major expansions in manufacturing capacity are already underway.
- Continued Partnership with WoodWorks: With WoodWorks co-producing and promoting Mass Timber+ we will attract higher level architects, engineers, contractors and developers.
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School engineers fortify wood with nano-iron
By Larry Adams
Researchers from the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University, and collaborators from the University of Miami and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, tested adding extremely hard minerals at the nanoscale to the walls of wood cells to add strength – without making the wood heavy, expensive or bad for the environment. …The research focused on a hardwood known as ring-porous wood, from broad-leaf trees like oak, maple, cherry and walnut. … By mixing ferric nitrate with potassium hydroxide, they created ferrihydrite, an iron oxide mineral commonly found in soil and water. …The findings suggest that, with the right chemical treatment, it’s possible to enhance the strength of wood and other plant-based materials without increasing their weight or harming the environment. These bio-based materials could one day replace traditional construction materials like steel and concrete in applications such as tall buildings, bridges, furniture and flooring.
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3 sustainable construction considerations for your next Kansas City project
By Julianne Laue, National Sustainability Director, JE Dunn Construction
As sustainability drives change across industries, the construction sector is no exception. Developers, contractors, and architects are embracing sustainable building practices — not only as an environmental imperative but as a strategic approach to future-proof their projects. Whether you are planning a new development or a renovation, incorporating sustainable construction practices can offer long-term benefits, from cost savings to increased tenant appeal. JE Dunn is proud to contribute to projects like South Loop and the extension of the KC Streetcar that make Kansas City a leader in sustainability. Here are three key sustainable construction options to consider for your next project — and why they matter: Mass timber: A sustainable, biophilic alternative; Low-carbon concrete: Reducing emissions without sacrificing strength; and Adaptive reuse: Turning old buildings into new opportunities.
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New Department of Natural Resources mass timber building on display
By Carol Stiffler
Michigan — The new Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Newberry Customer Service Center is a 10,000-square foot building designed with nature in mind. Massive wooden columns and beams support the structure, while giant windows stretch nearly floor to ceiling. The DNR welcomed architects, engineers, and political representatives to the new building last Wednesday, to celebrate one of Michigan’s first mass timber structures. …A public grand opening will be scheduled in the near future. …While mass timber is celebrated for its sustainability, it also brings nature indoors, promoting “biophilia” – the human desire to connect with nature. …Newberry’s mass timber building is part of a growing trend – both in Michigan and across the country. By the time the building was complete, several more mass timber buildings have gone up in Michigan. According to WoodWorks, the Wood Products Council, there were 2,427 mass timber buildings constructed or in progress in the U.S. as of March 2025.
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Skanska Delivers First HQ of Its Kind
By Richard Berger
Skanska has completed the U.S.’s first mass timber broadcast facility. In fact, Cincinnati Public Radio’s new headquarters, which had a price tag of $32 million, is also the city’s first such building. Skanska worked together with Emersion Design, Neyer Properties, Schaefer Inc., CMTA and WSDG on the project. “Mass timber allows us to reimagine how we build, bringing a warmth and human-scale quality that transforms how people experience a space,” said Chris Hopper, executive vice president & general manager for Skanska USA Building. The 37-day project incorporated 498 pieces of cross-laminated timber sourced from 80- to 100-year-old black spruce trees. The result: a 35,000-square-foot first. One of the project’s main highlights was the CLT stair stringers, each weighing roughly 7,500 pounds. …The volume of projects using mass timber has increased dramatically, including hundreds of developments in the office, industrial and retail sectors, according to a September 2024 report from WoodWorks.
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Trade War Fallout: Contractors Are Delaying Projects and Cutting Crews
By Bryan Gottlieb
A new survey of industrial professionals highlights the significant impact of President Trump’s tariffs and immigration policies on the building envelope and related manufacturing. The survey’s findings offer the clearest picture yet of the widespread dissatisfaction that the tariffs are causing for businesses throughout the building envelope. This includes reduced profit margins, delayed projects, and workforce cuts in construction — effects particularly felt by roofing and exterior contractors amid tight labor markets and rising material costs. Industry data show that tariffs on steel, aluminum and lumber have driven up input prices by double-digit percentages, delayed deliveries on job sites, and added roughly $9,000 – $10,000 to the cost of a typical single-family home. At the same time, stricter immigration enforcement has reduced the pool of experienced installers — nearly one-quarter of construction workers are foreign-born, which puts further upward pressure on wages and project timelines.
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Cool tool expands mass timber research capabilities
By Kelley Young
“I was very excited when I heard we were getting a cross-laminated timber (CLT) press,” said Brian Via, the Regions Professor of forest products and member of the Auburn Mass Timber Collaborative (AMTC). Mass timber is a rapidly growing technology used in the design and construction fields, and the AMTC is becoming a leader in mass timber research, teaching and outreach in the Southeast. Now that the team has acquired a tool to manufacture its own CLT, faculty can do more research without having to leave campus or depend on outside partners. Auburn is the only academic institution in the Southeast and one of fewer than a dozen nationally to own a CLT press. Now, Auburn faculty across multiple disciplines can complete the cycle of mass timber production from start to finish — from sapling to shelter.
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Forestry
Trump timber order spurs debate about Vermont’s woods
By Amanda Youngsman
When one of Vermont’s oldest lumber mills, run by the A. Johnson Company in Bristol, shut down its saws in 2023 after 117 years in business, it seemed like another sign of a waning timber industry. Now, a sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump has stirred fresh debate in the Green Mountain State over whether a surge in federal logging might revitalize local forest economies or imperil treasured woodlands. …Though it only makes up about 6-7% of Vermont’s total land area, it’s the state’s largest federal land holding and a key source of wood for local sawmills. …“There are lots of reasons why the Forest Service hasn’t been doing more harvesting but amongst them are the weaponization of the Endangered Species Act,” said Jack Bell, one of the cofounders of Long View Forest, a logging company in Hartland.
Additional coverage in the VT Digger by Greta Solsaa: Vermonters react to the Trump administration’s guidance for increased logging on national forests
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Protect New Hampshire’s timber industry, North Country towns and taxpayers
By Tom Brady, Raymond Gorman and Robert Théberge – Coos County Commissioners
NEW HAMPSHIRE yield tax on timber, often called the “timber tax,” was established in 1949 and has been locally collected to offset property taxes ever since. …The yield tax on timber has been an essential tool for promoting conservation, helping the timber industry, and stabilizing municipal revenues in heavily timbered towns. …The legislation would, “…encourage conservation of the forest resources of [New Hampshire] by releasing growing wood and timber from the yearly burden of local property taxes and substituting a yield tax….” The timber tax has been very effective achieving these goals… The current policy strikes an excellent balance between industry and conservation. There is a new government-promoted industry threatening New Hampshire’s timber industry, loggers, timber processors, and heavily timbered towns that depend on timber tax revenues. Carbon credits.
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With new techniques, landowners shape forests for maximum carbon storage
By Jan DeBlieu
Steve Tatko oversees land management and forestry operations for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Maine, including its timber management project in the 100-Mile Wilderness. Over the course of several years AMC has systematically restored the river’s channels, which were badly scoured by log drives before the Clean Water Act barred them in the early 1970s. The work included stabilizing shorelines and replacing culverts, all to repair the health of waters that serve as the Atlantic salmon’s most inland spawning grounds. The biological health of rivers and streams depends on the forests surrounding them, and much of AMC’s holdings were cut hard by previous owners. Those stands grew back so packed with small trees that few can thrive. “We’re cutting the junk now so long after I retire there will be good forests here,” Tatko said. New England Forestry Foundation is promoting building with wood products instead of concrete and steel, especially in cities.
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Another 1,000 acres of state forest considered ‘suitable’ for solar by Michigan DNR
By Sheri McWhirter
GAYLORD, MI – State officials reviewed at least five sites across northern Michigan for possible solar energy buildout in what’s become a controversial effort to increase renewable energy by deforesting state land. Maps and other documents released to MLive under the state Freedom of Information Act show sites reviewed by officials include previously unknown areas in the Mackinaw and Pere Marquette state forests. Both those sites near Fife Lake and Mancelona were deemed ‘suitable’ to lease for solar panels in 2021, records show. …Released records show DNR officials reviewed 4,800 public acres across those five northern Michigan locations. All are either adjacent or in proximity to high-voltage transmission lines, considered a key factor for renewable energy development. …State officials said leasing 4,000 acres of public land statewide for solar energy is part of the DNR’s plan to increase revenues for the agency and accelerate Michigan toward its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.
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Ghost forests are growing as sea levels rise
By Jude Coleman
Clusters of dead standing tree trunks are appearing along the Chesapeake Bay on the United States’ mid-Atlantic coast. They are ghost forests: the remains of cedar and pine stands. Since the late 19th century, an ever-widening swath of these trees have died along the shore. And they won’t be growing back. They are showing up in places where the land slopes gently into the ocean and where salty water increasingly encroaches. Along the United States’ East and West Coast saltier soils have killed acres of trees. …As these dead forests transition, some will become marshes that maintain vital ecosystem services, such as buffering against storms and storing carbon. Others may become home to invasive plants or support no plant life at all — and the ecosystem services will be lost. Researchers are working to understand how this growing shift toward marshes and ghost forests will, on balance, affect coastal ecosystems.
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Some Maine landowners see a future in ecological forest management
By Jan DeBlieu
…Bob Seymour has promoted an ecological approach to forestry for more than three decades. In 1991 he and conservation biologist Malcolm Hunter, also of the University of Maine at Orono, gave a presentation at a national convention about a new model they called Triad Forestry. It was a time, Seymour remembered, when forestry issues were particularly charged, in part because of growing concern about climate change. “Foresters tend to want to manage every acre,” he said. The profession was wrestling with the concept of what was then called New Forestry, with its more hands-off approach. In the Triad model, forest lands are managed using three different timbering strategies. Some are logged commercially — business as usual, including heavy cutting and the creation of tree plantations. Others are set aside as natural reserves. The final portion is logged but managed with selective harvesting that maintains natural forest habitat: ecological forestry or a similar model.
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Clemson University earns first-ever SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Certification
By Jonathan Veit
Clemson University is the first organization to earn the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s (SFI) full Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard certification. The achievement was announced April 25, 2025, in honor of Arbor Day. The certification highlights Clemson’s commitment to managing its campus trees and green spaces in ways that provide long-term benefits for students, faculty, staff and the broader community. This marks Clemson’s second SFI certification. In 2013, its 18,000-acre Experimental Forest became the first university forest certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard. It has maintained that certification ever since, establishing the University as a pioneer in forest management and a hub for forestry education and outreach statewide. Patricia Layton, forestry professor and director of the Clemson University Wood Utilization & Design Institute, led the certification effort.
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What Trump’s executive order on timber could mean for Tennessee forests
By Allison Kiehl
Increased timber production may be coming to the Volunteer State, impacting the Appalachian forests in East Tennessee. A new emergency order from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated 59% of national forests across the country for timber production. …However, the economics benefits of logging come at a steep price, according to The Wilderness Society. “Don’t be fooled: the Trump Administration and its allies in Congress aren’t trying to solve the wildfire crisis or protect communities threatened by it. Instead, they are aiming to deepen the pockets of private industry to log across our shared, public forests, while sidestepping public review,” said Josh Hicks, Conservation Campaigns Director at The Wilderness Society. …A majority of the impacted U.S. Forest Service areas are in the western half of the United States. However, the USDA declaration also impacts Appalachia and East Tennessee. The affected areas total more than 112 million acres of U.S Forest Service land.
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Facing new spruce budworm outbreak, Maine foresters look to history as a guide
By Jan DeBileu
From the summit of Katahdin, the view is of forests stretching in all directions. …Forty-five years ago this scene would have been quite different. A voracious insect called the spruce budworm was ravaging Maine’s North Woods, killing mountainsides of balsam fir and red spruce. …Today, foresters and landowners are nervously tracking a renewed spruce budworm presence in the North Woods. The insects have already stripped hundreds of thousands of forest acres in Quebec and Ontario. After decades of heavy logging, scattered tracts are being managed with ecological timbering methods that strive to maintain natural systems — but most are not. Questions abound over how the state’s forests, both the northern timberlands and smaller, privately owned tracts throughout the state, will fare in a world beset by climate change. …And there’s the coming spruce budworm invasion.
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This fungus targets invasive spongy moths. Could climate change alter their dynamic?
By Chris Polansky
The spongy moth, native to Europe, originally landed in North America in the 1800s. …Since then, the moth has spread as far west as Minnesota and as far south as North Carolina, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Outbreaks can be dramatic and devastating to forests. …In 1989, though, another non-native organism became a game changer in the fight against the spongy moth. The fungus Entomophaga maimaiga is from Japan, and it’s unclear how it arrived in the spongy moth’s range in North America. … it’s possible a Connecticut scientist who had returned from a spongy moth-infested area in Japan brought it back on his boots. …the fungus was adept at killing spongy moth caterpillars. “Infected caterpillars cling to the tree and they slowly liquefy. It’s pretty gruesome, but if you see it, that’s good news.” The dead caterpillars become “spore factories,” entomologist Katherine Dugas says, spreading the fungus to their compatriots.
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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Stronger Together: 18th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo
By Caitlin Scheresky
Just under 1,000 biomass industry professionals convened in Atlanta, Georgia, March 18-20, for the 18th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo. John Nelson, chief operating officer at BBI International, welcomed attendees and exhibitors, who “represent 28 countries, 46 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces, with more than 215 registered producers,” he said, stating that the “true growth of this conference is in the quality of connections. …Executive Director of Pellet Fuels Institute, Tim Portz spoke on the 2024 U.S. domestic wood pellet sales. …Despite what might seem like doom and gloom in the pellet industry, the industry’s value proposition sits at $600 million, Portz said. …The new Trump Administration and its massive push of executive orders included good news for the bioenergy industry, as Trump ordered the Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production on March 1, which Carrie Annand, executive director of the American Biomass Energy Association, said holds promise.
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Forest Fires
Over 15,000 acres burned in Ocean County’s Jones Road Wildfire
By Sarah Goode
In Ocean County, the Jones Road Wildfire continues burning into its sixth day. Roads are now back open including Wells Mills Road. The command post sits at Wells Mills County Park. As of Sunday, over 15,000 acres have burned, and it is now 65% contained. Four structures were threatened as of Sunday. Evacuations have been 100% lifted for residents previously evacuated in Lacey and Ocean townships. Crews Sunday were working on hotspots and patrolling the fire perimeter.
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Teen charged with arson over huge New Jersey wildfire
By Marina Dunbar
A New Jersey teenager is being charged with arson following a fast-moving fire in the Pine Barrens that has grown to more than 20 sq miles and is expected to continue for several more days. Ocean county prosecutors announced on Thursday that Joseph Kling, 19, of Ocean Township has been charged with aggravated arson and arson in connection with the wildfire. The blaze began in Waretown on Tuesday and has continued to spread throughout the southern Ocean county area in New Jersey. An investigation conducted by the Ocean county prosecutor’s arson squad, along with the state’s forest fire service and county fire marshal’s office traced the origin of the fire by using global positioning system (GPS). The fire was determined to have been caused by an improperly extinguished bonfire, according to a press release from the prosecutor’s office.
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Evacuation orders lifted and portion of Garden State Parkway reopens as crews battle New Jersey wildfire
By Taylor Romine, Taylor Ward and Mary Gilbert
Weather conditions are improving Wednesday as firefighters continue to battle a still-growing wildfire that has burned at least 13,250 acres in southern New Jersey since it ignited on Tuesday, prompting about 5,000 evacuations and briefly shut down part of the Garden State Parkway. The fire started inside the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County Tuesday morning and was 50% contained as of Wednesday evening, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. The cause is under investigation and a damage assessment is underway. …The fire is expected to grow even as firefighters make progress on containment. “This could very well end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years,” LaTourette said. Despite its large size, the fire destroyed a single commercial building in Ocean County and torched some nearby outbuildings and vehicles, but no homes were harmed, according to LaTourette.
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New Jersey Cut Back on Prescribed Burns in the Pine Barrens—and Faces a Wildfire That Charred Thousands of Acres
By Anna Mattson
New Jersey has a million acres filled with towering pitch pines. …This week, a swath of the Pine Barrens went up in flames, a stark warning of what might be a treacherous fire season. About 11,500 acres were affected by a fire that started Tuesday morning in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area of Ocean County, New Jersey Forest Fire Service said midday Wednesday. The Garden State Parkway was shut down for miles as thick smoke wafted into neighborhoods and thousands of households and businesses were evacuated for hours and had power cuts. Social media updates from fire officials indicated 30 percent of the blaze was contained by Wednesday afternoon. Foresters had warned in March that New Jersey was particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year because of below average rains, near-drought conditions-–and a delay in prescribed burns by authorities that have typically helped to reduce risk.
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State of emergency declared as New Jersey wildfire explodes to 8,500 acres
By Jon Haworth and Mill Hutchinson
A wildfire in New Jersey has exploded to over 8,500 acres after igniting Tuesday near Toms River and threatening more than 1,000 structures, shutting down a major highway and causing thousands of people to flee the flames. The Jones Road Wildfire was just 10% contained on Wednesday morning, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. “Smoke and everything was right in my backyard. Everything was covered in black ashes,” said Kelly Mendoza, one of the evacuees. Fanned by wind gusts and dry vegetation, the fire started in Ocean County around 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday and exploded overnight from a few hundred acres to 8,500, according to the Forest Fire. New Jersey Lt. Gov. Gov. Tahesha Way, who is serving as acting governor while Gov. Phil Murphy is out of the country, declared a state of emergency in Ocean County on Wednesday morning, freeing up resources to battle the blaze.
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Trump timber order spurs debate about Vermont’s woods
When one of Vermont’s oldest lumber mills, run by the A. Johnson Company in Bristol, shut down its saws in 2023 after 117 years in business, it seemed like another sign of a waning timber industry. Now, a sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump has stirred fresh debate in the Green Mountain State over whether a surge in federal logging might revitalize local forest economies or imperil treasured woodlands. …Though it only makes up about 6-7% of Vermont’s total land area, it’s the state’s largest federal land holding and a key source of wood for local sawmills. …“There are lots of reasons why the Forest Service hasn’t been doing more harvesting but amongst them are the weaponization of the Endangered Species Act,” said Jack Bell, one of the cofounders of Long View Forest, a logging company in Hartland.
Additional coverage in the VT Digger by Greta Solsaa: Vermonters react to the Trump administration’s guidance for increased logging on national forests
Louisiana Pacific reports Q1, 2025 net income of $91 million
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Louisiana-Pacific reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Highlights include: Siding net sales increased by $41 million (11%) to $402 million; Oriented Strand Board (OSB) net sales decreased by $46 million to $267 million; Consolidated net sales remained flat at $724 million; Net income was $91 million, a decrease of $17 million; and Cash provided by operating activities was $64 million. …“LP’s Siding business delivered 11% revenue growth and margin expansion in the first quarter,” said LP CEO Brad Southern. “Despite tariff uncertainty and a slow start to the building season, LP’s Siding order file is on pace for a record second quarter, driven by ExpertFinish growth, share gains in new residential construction, and a recovering shed market.”
Kansas builders face uncertain prices as U.S. and Canada ‘keep flexing their muscles’ on tariffs
TOPEKA, Kansas — Building a new house in today’s market doesn’t yet mean extra dollars for lumber or manufactured wood products, but Kansas building supply managers warn that tariffs have driven up other construction costs. While on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian timber are currently off, Kansans should prepare to pay more for just about everything else in the house, they said. “You take the hardware and the millwork portion of our business, and we’re getting daily price increases. …“Canada is the source of upwards of 80% of our lumber, so that’s a huge issue for the homebuilding industry in particular,” he said. …“I would say pretty much 99.9% of all the builders we deal with have language in their contracts for increases due to market conditions,” he said. “Unfortunately, the end user is the one that’s bearing the brunt of all these tariffs,” Robinson added.
International Paper Celebrates the Groundbreaking of Greenfield Packaging Facility in Waterloo, Iowa
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper announces the groundbreaking of its new state-of-the-art sustainable, packaging box plant in Waterloo, Iowa. …Located in the heart of the Midwest, the new facility will primarily focus on serving the protein segment, providing tailored packaging solutions and meeting the growing demand for high-quality, sustainable packaging. …The Waterloo box plant will feature cutting-edge technology and equipment, enabling International Paper to deliver innovative and sustainable packaging solutions. …The new facility is currently scheduled to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2026 and create an estimated 65 new jobs to the current facility with a total of 190 team members.
Georgia-Pacific to Close Emporia Plywood Facility in Virginia
ATLANTA, Georgia – Employees at the Emporia Plywood mill in Emporia, Virginia, were told that Georgia-Pacific will permanently close the plant. Approximately 550 jobs will be impacted. Normal operations will cease May 2 – and the site will be permanently closed on July 1. Georgia-Pacific will provide all affected employees with at least 60 days’ pay with benefits in accordance with WARN. Housing affordability challenges and a 30-year low in existing home sales are impacting our plywood business, as many of our plywood products are used in repair and remodel projects, which often occur when homes change ownership. To align with current demand, we are reducing our production capacity. A decision on the facility and property will be made at a later date.
Protect New Hampshire’s timber industry, North Country towns and taxpayers
NEW HAMPSHIRE yield tax on timber, often called the “timber tax,” was established in 1949 and has been locally collected to offset property taxes ever since. …The yield tax on timber has been an essential tool for promoting conservation, helping the timber industry, and stabilizing municipal revenues in heavily timbered towns. …The legislation would, “…encourage conservation of the forest resources of [New Hampshire] by releasing growing wood and timber from the yearly burden of local property taxes and substituting a yield tax….” The timber tax has been very effective achieving these goals… The current policy strikes an excellent balance between industry and conservation. There is a new government-promoted industry threatening New Hampshire’s timber industry, loggers, timber processors, and heavily timbered towns that depend on timber tax revenues. Carbon credits.
With new techniques, landowners shape forests for maximum carbon storage
Steve Tatko oversees land management and forestry operations for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Maine, including its timber management project in the 100-Mile Wilderness. Over the course of several years AMC has systematically restored the river’s channels, which were badly scoured by log drives before the Clean Water Act barred them in the early 1970s. The work included stabilizing shorelines and replacing culverts, all to repair the health of waters that serve as the Atlantic salmon’s most inland spawning grounds. The biological health of rivers and streams depends on the forests surrounding them, and much of AMC’s holdings were cut hard by previous owners. Those stands grew back so packed with small trees that few can thrive. “We’re cutting the junk now so long after I retire there will be good forests here,” Tatko said. New England Forestry Foundation is promoting building with wood products instead of concrete and steel, especially in cities.
Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Mississippi River Commission To Proceed
A federal judge in Jackson, Mississippi, issued an order April 28 allowing a lawsuit by a newspaper publisher and lumber company against the Mississippi River Commission (MRC) to proceed. The lawsuit alleges a lack of transparency in meetings. The suit was originally filed in September 2024. Emmerich Newspapers Inc., which publishes dozens of publications across Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, sued the MRC over what it claimed were secret meetings where proper records were not kept and the public was not notified or admitted. Emmerich was joined as plaintiff by a lumber company that manages hundreds of acres alongside the Mississippi River. The lumber company claims the Corps of Engineers’ decisions on flood control, informed by advice from the MRC, adversely affect its properties. The judge’s decision allows the lawsuit to proceed without ruling on the merits of the allegations.
Rayonier Inc. reports Q1, 2025 net loss of $3.4 million
WILDLIGHT, Florida — Rayonier reported first quarter net loss attributable to Rayonier of ($3.4) million on revenues of $82.9 million. This compares to net income attributable to Rayonier of $1.4 million on revenues of $113.7 million in the prior year quarter. Due to the Company’s previously announced agreement to sell entities that hold its entire 77% New Zealand joint venture interest, the contribution from the Company’s New Zealand operations are now reflected as discontinued operations on its consolidated financial statements. “We continued to advance key strategic initiatives during the first quarter, underscored by our announcement of an agreement to sell our New Zealand joint venture interest in March,” said Mark McHugh, President and CEO.
Another 1,000 acres of state forest considered ‘suitable’ for solar by Michigan DNR
GAYLORD, MI – State officials reviewed at least five sites across northern Michigan for possible solar energy buildout in what’s become a controversial effort to increase renewable energy by deforesting state land. Maps and other documents released to MLive under the state Freedom of Information Act show sites reviewed by officials include previously unknown areas in the Mackinaw and Pere Marquette state forests. Both those sites near Fife Lake and Mancelona were deemed ‘suitable’ to lease for solar panels in 2021, records show. …Released records show DNR officials reviewed 4,800 public acres across those five northern Michigan locations. All are either adjacent or in proximity to high-voltage transmission lines, considered a key factor for renewable energy development. …State officials said leasing 4,000 acres of public land statewide for solar energy is part of the DNR’s plan to increase revenues for the agency and accelerate Michigan toward its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.
Harvard is building a new conference centre – and it’s made entirely of wood
Harvard University is building a new conference centre, to open in autumn 2025. The campus-wide conference facility – The David Rubenstein Treehouse – will be constructed almost entirely from wood, designed to give visitors the impression of being “up in the canopy”. It uses a rare type of frame, made from “engineered wood”, and will feature a wraparound balcony on the upper levels and an abundance of natural light. The new building has what’s known as a “mass timber” structure – a relatively new construction method. …the building will use “engineered wood”, which involves gluing wood fibres together with adhesives. The resulting material is about the same strength of concrete or steel, but much lighter. This composite wood will form the actual frame of the building. …The Treehouse was designed by Jeanne Gang’s architecture studio, Studio Gang – known for its experimentation with materials and general focus on sustainability. The centre is being constructed by Consigli and Smoot.
Missouri lumber businesses struggle to find stability amid Trump tariffs
FAYETTE — Missouri’s lumber exports have taken a major hit, with more than half of international shipments grinding to a halt in the wake of tariffs enacted under President Donald Trump’s administration. Industry leaders say the effects are already being felt statewide. The Missouri Forest Products Association says demand for lumber is declining both domestically and internationally, driving down market prices and straining businesses that rely heavily on exports. “About 60% of the material produced here in Missouri is exported to China,” said Brian Brookshire, the Missouri Forest Production Association’s executive director. Brookshire said the lack of international exports is causing problems for the market. …With international demand shrinking, one lumber company in Fayette said it is seeing shipments stall and backlogs grow. The MOPAC Lumber Company said the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs has thrown previous export plans into chaos.
When one of Vermont’s oldest lumber mills, run by the A. Johnson Company in Bristol, shut down its saws in 2023 after 117 years in business, it seemed like another sign of a waning timber industry. Now, a sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump has stirred fresh debate in the Green Mountain State over whether a surge in federal logging might revitalize local forest economies or imperil treasured woodlands. …Though it only makes up about 6-7% of Vermont’s total land area, it’s the state’s largest federal land holding and a key source of wood for local sawmills. …“There are lots of reasons why the Forest Service hasn’t been doing more harvesting but amongst them are the weaponization of the Endangered Species Act,” said Jack Bell, one of the cofounders of Long View Forest, a logging company in Hartland.